The lesson
by PrismaTrumpet
Summary: Leonardo struggles with one of his ninja lessons, and acts out in a way that hurts his youngest brother and cause Leo to learn another lesson .the hard way.


**I don't **have** anything witty or charming to say so; I'll open with a pun:**

**Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy**

**I regret nothing.**

**Enjoy!**

It started as an average morning for Leo; his father woke him up , he ate breakfast and rushed to the television to see the newest "space heroes". His favorite part of the day , however, was ninja training.

When it finally came time for the morning training session, Leo was the first one into the dojo. Raph and Donnie fallowed soon after. When Leo noticed that Mikey, his youngest brother, wasn't with them he got worried. Michelangelo already got in enough trouble outside of training, the last thing he need was to get in trouble during training.

"Where's Mikey?" Leo asked his brothers. Donnie and Raph look at each other, each expecting the other to have an answer.

"Beats me." Raph said nonchalant. Leo sighed, that meant he was have to go find Mikey himself. If he hurried he might be able to make it back before their father began practice. Leo ran out of the dojo franticly searching for his brother. He checked the kitchen first with no result. He ran to the living room, still no Michelangelo. The only place left for Leo to check was Mikey's room. Leo pushed the door open, and as expected, there was Mikey. He was sitting on the floor slump over asleep; he appeared to be in the process of putting his gear and mask on when he had fallen asleep. If Leo had the time, he would have thought it was cute.

"Mikey! Mikey!wake up!"Leo shouted as he ran to his slumbering brother. The only response was an incoherent mumble. "WAKE UP MICHEANGELO!" Leo punctuated his command with a fierce tug on the orange mask. This woke the younger turtle who suddenly became aware of the situation, and began to rapidly finish getting ready. Leo helped Mikey finish before yanking him to his feet and began shoving him out the door.

Leo kept his hands on Mikey's shell, pushing him as they ran. He thought that if they ran fast enough they could make it to the dojo with just enough time to get in line with their brothers before Master splinter came out of his room to begin the lesson.

They were almost there when suddenly Leonardo tripped. Mikey who was still half asleep and therefore unaware that his brother was no longer behind him continued running to the dojo. Mikey made in to his spot next to Donnie just as master splinter stepped into the training room. However Leo was not that lucky, as soon as he stood up he almost fell again because of the pain his leg. He could still walk on it, but just barely. By the time he made it back into the dojo, Master Splinter had a less than pleased look on his face.

"And where exactly have you been?"

"I was-"

"Your brothers were hear on time. As the oldest YOU should be setting an example." Master splinter voice was firm , but not angry. Yet for some reason Leo still felt an urge to cry, he held it back the best he could the last thing he wanted was for his brothers to see him cry.

"But Dad I-"

"I've told you, you are to address me as sensei in the dojo. Now , seeing as how you have not been late before I will let you off with a warning. But know that if you are late again you will be punished. Do I make myself clear?" Leo looked at Mikey, hoping that he would bail him out but Mikey said nothing. He only stood there with an apologetic look on his face.

"Hi sensei." Leo said looking down at the floor. He took his spot next to Raph and tried his best not to glare at his youngest brother.

Leonardo went threw the rest of the lesson like normal, except for the fact that he didn't look at Mikey at all.

Towards the end of the training session, master splinter told them to partner up and spare while he set something up for the next lesson. Under normal circumstance Leo would have spared with Mikey so he would be able to help him. However, today Leo grabbed Donatello by the arm and dragged him to the corner of the room. Leo did fell kind of bad for leaving Mikey with Raph , but at the same time he knew he was to angry to be fair in a fight with him.

It was weird sparing with Donatello instead of Mikey. Donnie didn't like fighting and therefore was more timid than Mikey. Usually Mikey would come up with some unconventional way of dodging or attacking, which Leo found amusing and challenging. By no means was Donnie a bad ninja , Leo just didn't see it as the same challenging.

" Yamete!"

The boys stopped what they were doing and went back to their line in the center of the room in front of their Sensei. Behind Master Splinter the turtles could see that there were four wooden beams set up.

"Now I would like you each to go to a beam, and practice getting across. You will do this until you can successfully get across twenty times. If you fall you must start over." Said the Old rat to his sons. The four boys took their positions in front of the beams. The beams were about four feet high , barely a foot taller than the boys.

Getting on was the defiantly easy part for Leo. Once he pulled himself on he wasn't sure what to do. He tried standing up however once he felt himself wobble he grabbed on tight to the bar out of fear of falling. He look over at his father hoping for help , but saw that he was already helping Raphael who had fallen just minutes before. Sighing Leo once again tried to stand this time he made it up in a standing position. With a sigh of relief he decided to try moving forward. He lifted his foot off the beam to move it forward, but suddenly felt the ground at his face. Leonardo didn't even relies he had fallen till he heard his father asking if he was alright.

"Hi sensei…" Leo said, he stood back and tried to get back on to beam , but wasn't able to. Every time he tried to left his leg on to the beam it began to hurt to the point that he had to stop. It didn't take long for him to realize that his leg was hurting from his fall before practice. Leo grumbled under his breath and went back to trying to get on the beam. He finally pulled himself up , when he heard his father's voice again.

"Well done Michelangelo." Leonardo glared over at his brother to see that Mikey had made it to the end of his beam. Mikey didn't walk across it though, instead he had hung upside down and slid across the beam. This irritated Leo. He didn't understand how Michelangelo's goofing around got him across the beam , while Leo who was being serious could barely get on. Leo looked over at Michelangelo, Mikey smiled brightly at his older brother, but when he saw the look Leo was giving him his smile quickly faded. Leo wasn't sure what he was feeling when he saw this. He felt angry but something else to, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"But sensei ," Leo began " he didn't walk across the beam , he just crawled across the bottom of it , we were suppose to walk across it."

"I said to get across the beam, I never said there was only one way to do it."

Leonardo felt the blood rush to his face out of embarrassment. Not only was he shown up by his younger brother , he was just proven wrong by his father. Leo looked at the beam trying to figure out a way across it. He looked over at his other two brothers who were walking across with ease. Sighing he grabbed the end of the beam and tried to hoist himself up only to be meat with the same result as earlier, falling off.

Leo was really anger by this point. He usually did so well in training so why was he all of a sudden struggling. The only explanation he could think of is when he fell he hurt his leg, because of Mikey. Out of anger and frustration Leo gave a forceful kicked, with his good leg, to the supported of the beam. He heard it topple over. He hadn't intended to kick it that hard, and he braced himself for a scolding. But instead of hearing his father's angry voice, he heard a high pitched whine of pain, Leo turned to see Michelangelo lying on the floor holding his head next to a forlorn beam. Leonardo quickly realized that he had kicked over Mikey's beam….

Master splinter was instantly at his younger son's side asking him where it hurt and other such questions a father would ask. Then Master Splinter's gaze turned to Leo. Leonardo didn't know what to say or do. He couldn't even read the emotion on his father's face.

"Donatello come take your brother to the living room and make sure he is okay, Raphael go with him. I'll be there momentarily, it seems I need to have a word with your brother first." Raph and Donnie quickly helped their youngest brother up and practically ran out of the room.

Master splinter turned his back to Leo and began walking towards his room. Leo knew that he was meant to fallow him. Whenever he or his brothers got in to serious trouble their father would pull them aside to his room to talk to or discipline them when they got in trouble them. Leonardo felt his heart sink in his chest and his stomach suddenly began to ache. He had only been called in to his father's room twice , both times he was with at least one of his brothers , but now he was alone. He really didn't mean to knock Mikey over , let alone hurt him, Leo didn't even relies it was Mikey's beam he had kicked until it was too late. He would never intentionally hurt any of his brothers. Yet for some reason he didn't feel sorry, he felt bad, but not sorry. He hated not knowing why ether.

Splinters room was fairly big; there wasn't much in there so it seemed even bigger. He had a futon that was fooled up and put in a corner, a wardrobe and a few ink paints placed along the wall. A few feet from where Leo sat there was a small book shelf filled with small trinkets he and his brothers had given their father over the years? Leo tried to distract himself by looking at the self. He was snapped back to reality, by his father clearing his thought obviously waiting for Leo to offer an explanation.

"I didn't mean to hurt him… I didn't even mean to knock him over..."

"But you still did."

Leo hung his head in shame. He still didn't feel guilty though, how was he going to exspiln that to his father? Leo suddenly felt tears began to swell in his eyes he tried to hold them back but it became too much and the tears began to roll down his green face.

"Leonardo, please just tell me why you kicked over the beam." Master splinter asked.

Leo whipped the tears from his face and held back his sobs. Leo finally calmed himself down enough to speak. He told his father everything, about Mikey over sleeping , falling in the hallway, and even about how he felt when Mikey got across the beam by goofing around. When he finished telling his father everything he looked up expecting to see an angry father but instead he was calm.

"Sensei…?" Leo asked after a few minutes of silence.

"So you acted out of anger towards your brother?" Splinter finally said. Leo hung his head in shame. His father was right he had acted purely out of anger. He knew from watching Raphael that acting out of anger was never a good idea. "Hi…sensei.."

Leo's eyes grew wide at the realization that he was about to be scolded. "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my dojo. You will never take out your anger or frustration on your fellow students. If you behave like that in battle you could not only get yourself killed but others as well! You must not let your feelings get in the way of your judgment!" Leo tried to maintain a straight face during his scolding. He had never been in trouble like this before and therefore was not used to being yelling at. Leonardo was used to being praised for his abilities not scolded for making a mistake. "You should have been happy that your brother was useful in his training. Acting out in jealousy will get you killed! You must understand that. Do I make myself clear?!"

"Hi sensei!"

"Leonardo, I am speaking to you as your father now."Said splinter as he lay a comforting hand on Leo's shoulder." Even if it was your brother's fault you were late, it was your choice to go back and get him. You chose to do so out of concern for Michelangelo, which is very admiral of you, but I don't think you thought it through completely. Did you think that if you had told me before hand that you were going to get your brother that I would have given you time to do so?" Leo looked up at his father. "Every choice you make has a consequence. You have to think of all the possible outcomes of your actions, including kicking over a beam. Do you understand me?"

Leo nodded his head yes. "Yes father, I understand."

"Now, for your punishment," Leo winced at that word."You are not allowed to watch T.V. for a week, and you must sit here and meditate on what I said until I come get you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, father…or sensei?" Master splinter stood up to leave the room but he stopped just as he was about to go out the door."One more thing, when you have finished your meditating I want you to talk to Michelangelo. That's an order."

"Are you saying that as my father… or my sensei?"

Splinter paused, he did not turn around to face Leo when he answered, "I am speaking as a man who knows what acting out on feelings can do to two people." With that splinter left Leo alone to meditate.

Leonardo sat there alone thinking about what his father said and all that had happened that day. The more he thought about it the worse he began to feel. When the incident first happened he didn't feel any remorse , he felt like Mikey deserved it for making him late and showing him up in training, but know Leonardo felt like he was the one who deserved the fall. He realized now that that what he felt when Mikey crossed the beam was jealousy.

It was late in the afternoon when Splinter cam to get Leo. " how's Mikey?" was the first thing out of Leo's mouth when he saw his father.

"A little sore, but he should be fine. I trust you are on your way to speak with him?"

"Yes dad."

"Good, he is in his secret hiding spot."

Mikey's not so secret hiding spot was a little hole in the wall in one of the sewer tunnels near their home. It was just big enough for Mikey to fit in it. Mikey always went to his hiding spot when he was upset or playing hide and seek which is how his family knew about it, but they still pretended they didn't know about it. Leo walked down the tunnel for only a few minutes before he saw to green feet sticking out from the wall. He approached cautiously not wanting to scare Michelangelo off. Leo looked into the hole and saw the slit house of his brother. Mikey had his head pulled into his shell and leo could hear him crying softly.

"Hey Mikey."

"How did you find me!" Mikey demanded. Leo was a bit hurt by Mikey's harsh tone but decided to ignore it.

"Big brother's instincts," Leo said, there was a heavy silence before Leo spoke "You know I didn't mean to hurt you.."Leo waited for a response, but Mikey stayed silent. Mikey pulled his knees into his chest and turned his head away from Leo. It was then that Leo saw the bruise on Mikey's head. Leo felt the quilt build in him. Leonardo reached out his arms , pulled Mikey out of small cavern he was in and pulled him into a crushing hug.  
"I'm so so so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Leo wept as he held his brother in to his chest. Mikey felt his brother's tears on his face, and knew he was truly sorry.

"Why'd you do it nii-sama?" Michelangelo asked when Leo finally loosened his grip. Leo looked down at his little brother.

"I.. was just jealous…and I sort of got frustrated ….you know I'd never hurt you."Leo looked through his tear filled eyes at his younger brother . "Do you forgive me?"

"I thought you'd be happy for me."

"I know.. I should have been..at the time I was just not myself I was hot headed and stupid".

Mikey rested his head on Leo's chest. " I forgive you." Leo smiled and tightly hugged his brother , this time Mikey hugged back."I'm just glad you're not going to act like a hot head any more, Raphie's all the drama queen we need!"

Leo laughed at this, his laughter was interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach."Did you miss lunch Le-Le?"

"Asked you not to call me that, and yah I kind of did miss lunch.."

"I'll make you an omelet….Le-Le"

"Mikey…." Leo said with mock seriousness.

"What was that Le-Le? Le-le needs to speak up so Le-Le can be heard. Right Le- le?!" Playfully shoving his brother Mikey continued to call him the dreaded nick-name. Leo saw his brother was goofing around and decided to play along.

"Alright you asked for it!" Leo tackled his brother to the ground and processed to tickle him.

The brothers played like that in the sewer till finally their father called them home. When splinter saw his sons he knew there was no need to ask how it walked home together and Mikey made his brother an omelet just like he said he would. After they ate, while the rest of the family sat down to watch T.V., the brothers when tot the dojo to spare, since they didn't get to this morning.

While the events of that day eventually faded out of memory for Leonardo, the lesson of that day stuck.

**Well that was longer than I expected. Hopefully, it wasn't too long, I tried to keep it interesting. I love writing about the brother's relationships and now since I'm out of school for the summer (and officially a senior) I should be able to finish a lot of my stories.**

**I've also been thinking about taking request so PM me if you're interested, but I make no promises.**

**R&R**


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